


Desolate Space

by Void_Felinoid



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Other, Post-Canon, Sadstuck, Self-Loathing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-28
Updated: 2017-08-28
Packaged: 2018-12-20 22:16:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11930397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Void_Felinoid/pseuds/Void_Felinoid
Summary: A post-game conversation between Davepeta and the ghost of pre-retcon Karkat. Kinda depressing.





	Desolate Space

**Author's Note:**

> This is super OOC but I'm tired and gay ok

 Davepeta floats through the ruins of Paradox Space, purring a light, hearty tune as they wander aimlessly across shattered dream-bubbles, passing along the ghost trolls that once inhabited them.  
 They notice, beside them, a lonely ghost Karkat, strolling through a busted pathway of brick floating through the void, staring down at the floor, paying no attention to the flashing neon catbird. Davepeta floats beside him and matches his pace, purring their tune as they walk the craggy road with him, not saying a word.

 The despondent troll finally stops in his tracks, and looks to Davepeta with an annoyed scowl. “Why the fuck are you following me?”  
 “No reason,” Davepeta floats down onto the ground and looks to Karkat with a tilted look, “what's got you so down?”  
 “Everything.” Karkat takes a deep sigh and looks off to the side. “Everything finally felt like all the ridiculous horseshit that we've had to put up with would have actually had some positive conclusion, a 'they lived happily ever-after', or even just a 'well, some people survived', but it didn't, we were completely overwhelmed and everyone died and we lost... and no how many times I furl and unfurl the situation around my thinkpan like some sort of garment cleaner it always ends in the same fucking conclusion: Karkat wasn't good enough; Karkat wasn't strong enough; Karkat's a useless piece of shit and a horrible leader, and everyone died because Karkat sat by and let it all happen.”  
 “But that's wrong!” Davepeta seems almost defensive in their tone. “It wasn't your fault, and efurrybody did end up having a happy ever-after, just not in the way you think.”  
 “Oh, of course.” Karkat looks back to Davepeta, looking significantly more annoyed than before. “Of course. Of fucking course. I'm wrong.” He turns over to the empty void of space behind him, “did you hear that everybody? It's okay, turns out I was wrong, and we're all living in happy ever-after land, sucking each other's nooks and eating cake!”  
 “No, ugh, look,” Davepeta grabs the ghost Karkat by the hand and begins to fly off with him, “we're going on an adventure, and you're going to see why it's not your fault, and why everything worked out in the end.”

 After finding a comfortable slab of rubble to sit at to get, Davepeta spends the next hour or so getting Karkat thoroughly up-to-speed on the goings on of the game and how everyone had managed to pull it through and win.

 “So...” there's a palpable silence in the air as Karkat trails off, “you're a fusion of Strider and Nepeta.”  
 “And a bird!”  
 “And a bird.” Karkat scratches the back of his neck. “I still don't see how I can't be held accountable for this; I mean, everything worked out just because Vriska was there, but I could have easily filled her shoes had I just done my job as the leader.”  
 “I guess,” Davepeta shrugs, “but it wasn't up for you to decide; if the power to do that was in you, you would have done it.”  
 “So in the cosmic grand scheme of things I'm here just to be a burden.”  
 “You're not a burden,” they rest a hand on his shoulder, “the alpha timeline version of you is loved by his companions, and he has a purrpose, in the cosmic grand scheme of things.”  
 “Well good for him,” Karkat hangs his face down low, “but I'm not him, and I don't have a 'purrpose'.”  
Davepeta lies back on the rubble slab, “do you know how many other ghost Karkats I met?”  
 “Obviously not, y-”  
 “I can't remember the exact number, of course,” Davepeta continues, “but I've noticed a pattern in them: If any of them died before having calmed Gamzee down, at least another person would have ended up dying, whether it's Terezi, Kanaya, Vriska, etcetera etcetera, or if he just ended up dying first. And, in my opinion, that means something. You did something significant, you contributed something to this game, and none of this would have been possible without you, because you acted as the peacekeeper that kept anymore people from dying.”

 Karkat grumbles something under his breath and sits back down on the slab, arms crossed, and the two sit in silence for a little while, Karkat thinking to himself, and Davepeta watching as Paradox Space slowly crumbles around them, purring their tune. After a little while, Karkat looks over to the carefree sprite, and they tap beside them on the slab.  
 Karkat takes a deep breath and lies down, facing upwards with them.

 “So what happens now?” Karkat asks.  
 “Now, I suppose, we wait for Paradox Space to get sucked up and destroyed.”  
 “And everything I do from now on is useless because everything is just gonna stop existing.”  
 “Nothing's useless.”  
 Karkat lets out a sigh. “So how's everyone been doing? How's Terezi?”  
 “She's out here somewhere, looking for Vriska.” Davepeta looks over to him, “sorry about that, but Vriska being there kinda stumped your chances with her.”  
 “I guess it should be obvious I couldn't compete.” Karkat taps his finger nails together, then looks to Davepeta, “and uh, how is Dave?”  
 Davepeta lifts their glasses and delivers an eyebrow-wiggle.  
 “Wait.”  
 “Yup.”  
 “Me?”  
 “Ooh yeah.” Davepeta sits up. “After a while you two settled your differences and started a rocky road to admitting you have feelings fur each other.”  
 “This just doesn't make sense!” Karkat raises his hands up and cups them over his forehead. “Was I just being blind or something? Was there a connection that I didn't notice?”  
 “You're taking this better than most Karkats I've met.”  
 “Ugh, feelings suck.” Karkat lies on his side.  
 “Tell me about it,” Davepeta says with a wistful sigh, looking over to the black hole, noticing it's just a few minutes from pulling them in at best. “I mean, half of me has a huge crush on... someone, and the other half has unresolved romantic feelings towards them, so I'm just...” they slump their head down, “frustrated.”  
 “Wait.” Karkat looks over to Davepeta, and they turn their head to face him, “so that someone is me, obviously, right?”  
 Davepeta blushes and turns away. “I mean, I've got a crush on like, every Karkat in and out of existence!”  
 “So are you telling me I could have had an actual relationship with either Dave or Nepeta, and I instead chose to chase after Terezi?”  
 “Fate can be cruel.” They look over to the black hole once again. “We, uh, should probably go soon, 'cause that thing's getting pretty close.”  
 Karkat lies splayed on his back. “I fucked up,” he says. “I fucked up, I fucked up, I fucked up.”  
 “We all fuck up!” Davepeta floats up off of the slab and begins tugging at Karkat's shirt, “everybody makes mistakes, some things weren't meant to be, c'est la vie, now come on.”  
 “I'm good.” Karkat slaps their hand away. “There's no point in delaying the inevitable. At least now I got some closure.”  
 Davepeta rests their hands by their side. “Are you sure?”  
 Karkat nods. Before Davepeta can fly away, “hey,” he calls out to them, and they turn back around. “Was this whole 'random conversation' just supposed to be the prelude to you hitting on me, or something?”

 Davepeta turns away and continues flying. They don't know the answer. Though they're not trying to make a conscious effort to try and chat up every candy-blooded ghost that they find, they feel they're doing it subconsciously. They get an awful feeling in their stomach, and silently curse themself for this as they slowly fly away.  
 They just came out here to try and have fun, and share stories with all of the ghosts that are soon to be annihilated, but this just feels foolish.

 Taking one last look back, they see the ghost of Karkat, and all of the ruined structures around him, get taken in by the black hole.  
 They take a deep breath and slowly exhale as they turn around.  
 They are reminded of how quiet and lonely Paradox Space is. Maybe it's time they just head back to earth.  
 They take a look at the Imaginary watch on their wrist. They have no idea how long it's been.


End file.
